3 9 Blum Inspirations You are a trainer, suppor t women in the cof fee industr y and par ticipate in competitions all around the world. What inspired you to become a barista? Af ter leaving school, I worked in a small espresso bar. I had a great time and learned a lot about cof fee and people. Af ter wards I trained as a chef and worked in some really outstanding restaurants in Ber lin, but I was never as happy as when I was mak ing cof fee, so I went back to being a bar ista. You don' t need an apprenticeship to be a bar ista, but it 's ver y complex. Real bar istas need a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge and exper ience in the culinar y sector so they can cope well with stress. Even ten years in, I 'm still learning and discover ing new sides to the profession that I pass on in my bar ista training courses. What does cof fee mean to you person - ally? For me, cof fee is about emotion and is closely connected to the people I have got to know via this medium. It 's a science that is also ver y social and accessible as people all around the wor ld like to dr ink cof fee. Let me put it this way: my husband is the love of my life, and cof fee is my best fr iend. P H O T O G R A P H Y C L A U D I A B Ö T T C H E R J O R D A N M O N T G O M E R Y L O C A T I O N B E R L I N I G E R M A N Y Nicole's cof fee mock tail recipe for hot days: E S P R E S S O P I R I N H A I N G R E D I E N T S : • 1/2 a lime • 1 teaspoon brown sugar • Ice cubes • 150 ml spark ling water • Double espresso P R E P A R A T I O N • Cut 1/2 lime in 4 small pieces • Add brown sugar and smash the limes and sugar with a mor tar • Add ice cubes • Fill up with spark ling water • Add double espresso • Garnish with mint or lime C H E E R S ! How do you develop your recipes, and what 's your specialit y? I look at what 's on trend, which ingredients people are into r ight now and what works well together. There has to be a balance bet ween acidit y, sweetness and bit terness; I like fresh and tangy flavours myself. My favour ite dr ink on a hot day is an Espresso Pir inha, for example. What are the most impor tant factors behind a really good cup of cof fee? I hear this question a lot and people usually want me to say "Machine x y makes the best cof fee," but it 's not that simple. You need good beans to get good cof fee. I like it when there's a lot of information on the packaging. Where is the cof fee from? How is the cof fee processed? What is its flavour profile? When was it roasted? I know what I 'm buying if a roaster provides all of this information. "Let me put it this way: my husband is the love of my l i fe, and cof fee is my best f r iend." F O O D C U LT U R E
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